Thank you to Harliquinn for beta editing!

Happy Readings

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It had been a couple of weeks since Skye had found out the little she had about Kate, and she still hadn't heard from her.

Skye was at school. It was lunchtime, and she and her friends had decided to eat their lunch outside since the weather was finally warming up. Skye was sitting at a table outside when Carly and her crew came up to the table.

"Hi," Skye said cautiously.

"Hello, Skyler," Carly said.

"What's up?" Skye asked, still cautious.

"I thought I gave you enough time to make a decision. Are you going to show us all your "superpowers", or are you going to admit you've been lying?" Carly said.

Skye let out a breath. "So that note was from you, then."

"Yup," Carly said.

Skye nodded. "Well, I'm not going to show you any of my super abilities. But I think I should be fair and let you know that note was found by the dean during one of the locker sweeps. He knows all about the threat. So keep that in mind before you try to beat me up, because I also will not be admitting to not having abilities because that would be the lie."

"If you have them, why don't you want to show us?" Carly asked.

"Because I don't want to be kicked out of this school. Outside of you and your snarky looks and your fake accidentally spilling your coffee on me, I love this school and the friends I have made. So no, I will not be using my abilities and getting myself in trouble," Skye said.

"Oh, Miss So Powerful is scared of Mr. Fields. If you really had these so-called powers, you could scare him into letting you stay in this school," Carly's friend said.

"Just because I have the ability to hurt people, doesn't mean I would do that just because I can," Skye said.

"Well, maybe we will have to make you not have a choice," Carly said.

"Why exactly are you so determined for me to prove to you I have these abilities? What do you get out of it?" Skye asked.

"Well, when I prove you don't, I can hurt you for what you did to my cousin," Carly said.

"Um, who is your cousin?" Skye asked.

"Tucker," Carly said.

Skye let out a breath. Tucker was one of the people she used to be friends with. "What exactly did I do to Tucker?"

"You gave him up to the police. You should be the one sitting in a jail cell not him," Carly said.

Skye shook her head. "Actually, I didn't give up Tucker's name. He was the only one I didn't that night."

"Well, someone did," Carly said.

"I believe that someone did, but it wasn't me," Skye said. "I gave up everyone else, but not Tucker."

"I don't believe you," Carly said.

"Well, I can't make you believe me. But you can't make me use my abilities. You can beat me up, and I still won't, At least not intentionally," Skye said.

"Not intentionally?" Carly asked.

"It's fairly new to me still. I don't always have full control over it," Skye said.

"So, if we back you into a corner, you might accidentally use them?" Carly asked with a smirk.

"Yes, and I could accidentally really hurt you or someone else," Skye said.

"I'm not worried," Carly said. "Because I know you're lying."

"Okay, even if I am, which I'm not, and even if I was the one who gave your cousin's name, which I didn't, how is hurting me going to change his situation?" Skye asked.

"Oh, it won't. But I would get some payback for him," Carly said.

"Did Tucker say I was the one who gave his name? Does he want you to do this?" Skye asked.

"No, he said he didn't know. But everyone else who was there that night, except you, is sitting in juvie. And here you are at one of the best schools in the country," Carly said.

"Okay, yes, I'm not going to lie. I got lucky, I know that. But I didn't give Tucker's name. I would never give Tucker's name. I'm sorry he is in juvie, but it wasn't solely because of that night. If you know all the things he has done, you know that," Skye said.

"I don't care," Carly said, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and lifting her from her seat.

Skye took a breath. "Go ahead hit me. If that's what it will take to make you feel better, go ahead. But I didn't give up Tucker, and this won't help him."

"Problem here?" Mr. Fields asked. He had been walking the halls when Lily and Ivy had run up to him and told him that Carly and her friends were going to hurt Skye.

Carly let go of her collar quickly. "No problem, sir. She had fallen. I was just helping her up."

"Really? Is that so Miss Rogers?" Mr. Fields asked.

Skye let out a breath. "Yes, I had tripped over my own feet. I can be a bit clumsy."

Mr. Fields nodded. "you are okay, Miss Rogers?"

"Yes," Skye said.

Mr. Fields nodded. He knew that this was all a lie, but he would figure out the truth in time.

Carly and her friends walked away.

Skye's three friends were looking at Skye, now confused.

Mr. Fields looked at Skye. "You're sure there was nothing else going on?"

Skye nodded. "I'm sure."

"Okay," Mr. Fields said before he left Skye and her friends.

"Why the hell did you cover for her?" Ivy asked.

"It's a long story," Skye said. "Hopefully, by doing so, it put an end to this vendetta she has against me."

"You know what her problem is now?" Lily asked.

"I do," Skye said. "And I can't say I blame her."

"What did you do that was so awful?" Anna asked.

Skye shook her head, saying she didn't want to talk about it. "Look, I'm going to go for a walk. I just need some space."

She picked up what was left of her lunch and went for a walk around the school. She went to her locker and grabbed her bag before leaving the school through a back door and walking around the area. She hadn't been aware that the friends she had given the names of the night that Steve picked her up from the police station had ended up being arrested and sent to juvie. And she hadn't given up Tucker, not after everything he had done for her.

Skye was too upset to go back to school after lunch, so she just kept walking until she found herself at Central Park. She didn't want to be found right away and she knew the school would call the second she didn't show up to her class after lunch and knew that she would be found rather quickly if her phone was tracked so she shut it off. There she found a quiet spot to sit against a tree and think. At some point she watched someone playing fetch with their dog. She lost track of time and by the time she turned her phone on she had several missed calls from her dad and Happy. She was about to call when her phone rang. It was Happy

She answered. "Hey, Happy."

"Skyer, where are you?" Happy asked.

"Central Park," she admitted.

"Are you hurt?" Happy asked.

"No," Skye said

"I will come and get you. What entrance are you closest to?" he asked.

"West side," she said.

"Meet me there in half an hour," he said.

"Okay," Skye said.

Thirty minutes later she got into the car when he pulled up.

Happy started to drive toward the compound. "You want to talk about what happened?"

Skye shook her head.

Happy nodded.

"So the school called my dad I guess?" Skye asked, "About me skipping classes and what happened at lunch?"

"I know they called about you not being in your classes this afternoon, what happened at lunch?" Happy asked

"Long story," Skye said.

"Okay," Happy said.

When they got home Skye went inside where Steve was waiting with his arms crossed over his chest.

Skye looked down.

"Office now," he said.

Skye went with him. Steve closed the door behind them.

Skye sat down on the couch in the room, and Steve sat across from her on a chair.

"Are you hurt?" Steve asked.

"Not physically," Skye said.

"Okay, so I need to know everything that happened. Let's start with lunch - the truth, not the story you told Mr. Fields," Steve said.

"I found out it was the girl who had been giving me a hard time since day one who put the note in my locker. I didn't know her last name, but I do now. She is the cousin of someone who was at the park that night I got busted and you picked me up at the police station. I don't know how she knew exactly who I was, but she said she wanted to hurt me to get some payback for her cousin. He was arrested that night, along with everyone else whose names I gave to the police, and they are all in Juvie because of it," Skye said.

"So she, Carly is her name, and her friends came up to me outside. I was alone at that moment, and she told me I needed to prove I have the abilities that I am claiming I have. Which, by the way, I have only ever told my three friends at school. So I don't know where Carly found out, maybe the news. I don't know. But, anyway, she told me I needed to prove it or admit I was lying about having them. I told her I wouldn't, and I wasn't lying. After a lot of back and forth, she told me why she had this vendetta against me. She is angry because she was under the impression I gave her cousin's name, which I didn't. His name was the only one I didn't give that night. I told her this, but she didn't believe me. I think she was partly angry because he went to juvie for things I should have gone to juvie for too. I know I got lucky that night, and I know you pulled a lot of strings to keep me out of juvie," Skye said. "I just didn't realize that the group of people who kept me sane during the hardest times were all in juvie now," Skye said.

"Mr. Fields came out just as Carly was pulling me up by my collar from where I was sitting. When Mr. Fields asked if there was a problem, Carly said that she was just helping me as I had fallen. I thought maybe if I agree with that, it will put an end to the problems between us," Skye said. "I don't know if Mr. Fields believed us or not, but he had no real proof otherwise and let it go. I was upset because of finding out about Tucker and everyone else, so I decided to go for a walk. And I just couldn't bring myself to go back to school. I know I shouldn't have skipped, and I'm sorry," Skye said.

Steve listened and nodded a few times as she told him what had happened. He was surprised. He thought she had given all the names of the others she was with that night. When she was done Steve took a breath.

"Where did you go, just to central park?" Steve asked.

"I was just walking and ended up there. So I went and found a quiet place to sit and think," Skye said.

"Okay, anything else I should know? Steve asked.

"I don't think so," Skye said.

"Okay, well, thank you for telling me the truth," Steve said.

"I know I'm in trouble," Skye said.

"You're in trouble for taking off from school without telling anyone, yes," Steve said. "You could have called me, told me something had happened and you needed the afternoon off. I would have come and got you," Steve said. "You can't just take off and not tell an adult where you are. I was worried you had been seriously hurt, and you turned off your phone. You can't do that."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Steve moved to sit next to her and wrapped her in a hug. Skye curled into his arms and sobbed. Steve just held her until she calmed down.

"You were supposed to go to the mall this weekend with your friends. You will have to let them know you are not able to go anymore," Steve said.

"Dad, no, please anything else," Skye begged.

"Skyler that is the consequence. You can let them know, or I will do it. But you are not going to the mall this weekend," Steve said.

"That is not fair!" Skye said.

"Skyler, have I not been completely understanding? Did you really think you couldn't just call and tell me you needed a mental health break? That I wouldn't let you?" Steve asked.

Skye looked down.

"You chose to leave school and not go back and turned off your phone, causing me and others to worry about you. I think it is completely fair that you miss out on one day at the mall when there will be other opportunities," Steve said.

Skye got up. "You obviously don't remember what it's like to be a teenager. But what can I expect, you are like a thousand years old." She left the office and went to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Steve took a breath and shook his head. He got up and went and knocked on her door.

"Go away," she said.

"I don't expect you to like the consequence, but you will not be disrespectful," Steve said.

"Whatever," Skye said.

Steve went in. "You never answered my question. Did you really think you couldn't talk to me, and I wouldn't have let you take the afternoon off?"

Skye shook her head. "I guess I knew you would be understanding."

"So, I don't want a whatever answer from you. You will not be disrespectful, am I understood?" Steve asked sternly.

Skye nodded a little.

"Verbal response," Steve said.

"You're understood," she said softly.

"I know you had a hard day, and I'm sorry. But that doesn't mean you can be disrespectful," Steve said, his voice softening.

"Okay," Skye said softly.

Steve opened his arms, and Skye went over and hugged him. Steve hugged her tight.

"I love you, kid," Steve said.

"Love you too, Dad," Skye said.

"And, I don't want you to slam doors anymore. One of these days you're going to end up breaking it and, if you do, you're going to have to pay to replace it," Steve said.

Skye chuckled a little. "Got it. What did the school have to say about me missing school?"

"The Dean will be talking to you tomorrow, and I expect you to tell him what really happened at lunch," Steve said.

"Dad, come on, I might have gotten her off my case. Isn't it better that we just let things go?" Skye asked.

"You don't know that you did. If she really wants to get back at you for something she thinks you did, she won't stop," Steve said.

Skye nodded a little.

"Skye, he knows you were lying. He and I spoke about it," Steve said.

Skye sighed.

"So tell him the truth about what she said," Steve said.

"How can I get her in trouble when I feel like I deserve it," Skye said softly.

"Deserve what?" Steve asked.

"To get my ass kicked," Skye said.

"Language, and, no, you don't. Why do you think that?" Steve asked.

"Because I should be sitting in juvie right now," Skye said.

"Skye, you do not know what records those others already had," Steve said.

"Yes, I do, same as mine," Skye said.

"That's what you think. You don't know," Steve said.

"You said yourself that night you saved me from a jail cell," Skye said.

"Okay, yes, I did. But you were punished," Steve said.

"Yes, but not in a jail cell," Skye said.

"Skye I'm sorry your friends ended up in that situation. But that doesn't mean you deserve to be hurt because you didn't," Steve said. "And I made you give up those names, so blame it on me."

"But I didn't even give up his name," Skye said.

"Why did you leave his name off?" Steve asked.

Skye shrugged.

"Skye," Steve said.

"He left my name off something in the past. I just was returning the favor," Skye said.

Steve nodded. "Were the two of you in a lot of foster homes together?"

"Just one. It's not often you end up with the same kids, except for siblings, and sometimes even siblings get separated," Skye said.

"Didn't you and Kate end up in a lot of homes together?" Steve asked.

"We did, but it wasn't purposefully. We just always ended up in the same homes at times when we were really young. And, then when we both ended up in legal trouble as we got older, we ended up in the same group home," Skye told him.

Steve nodded. "So, tomorrow you're going to tell the dean the truth about what happened."

Skye sighed and nodded.

"Good," Steve said.

"I've got homework," Skye said.

"I'll let you do that then," Steve said before he left her room.